Alexis Ohanian: Give a Damn. Give Lots of Damns.

Alexis Ohanian shares lessons learned from years of building three startups from scratch. Making a customer’s day should be obligatory throughout every organization, he urges. Whether you mail swag to early users (like Hipmunk) or add fun to the otherwise mundane (like Wufoo), everything should have a personality that wins over users and, as a side effect, is more effective than any other kind of “traditional” marketing. “No one ever forgets their first 100 users,” he says. “Let them know that you give a damn.”

About Alexis Ohanian

Alexis is the co-founder of Reddit (now on the Board of Directors) and presently founder of Breadpig. After helping launch Hipmunk.com in 2010, he’s now an advisor. Today he’s the author of the e-book Make Something People Love and is an active startup advisor and investor with Das Kapital Capital. His book-book, Without Your Permission, is due out Fall 2013.

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This is awesome! It makes you really think about how much difference it makes when companies personalize their businesses and cherish their customers

bassamtarazi

As I like to say, “It’s so much easier to support someone when they give a damn.” It doesn’t necessarily matter what you give a damn about but people love seeing effort and dedication. And if we’re talking business here, our giving a damn has to provide value to someone other than ourselves. Awesome stuff, Alexis

Trueply

amazing! this is the kind of force needed to balance the overload of indifference today. Thank you!

http://alexisohanian.com/ Alexis Ohanian

woot! Thanks for the comment – glad to hear it moved ya.

http://alexisohanian.com/ Alexis Ohanian

Thank you very much! I love seeing how much this talk continues to motivate & inspire folks.

http://alexisohanian.com/ Alexis Ohanian

Thanks, Marie! It really does make a difference – I’ve seen it pay dividends my entire career.